Can Vape Juice Absorb Through Skin?

Can Vape Juice Absorb Through Skin?

The short answer to this question is yes, vape juice can be absorbed through the skin — more precisely, the nicotine in vape juice. If you have an observant eye, you'd have noticed that most vape juice bottles have a warning label. This label warns users of coming into contact with the liquid in the bottle.

The skin readily absorbs nicotine in e-liquids — that is how nicotine patches work. However, despite the numerous warnings on labels plastered across these vape juice bottles, there isn't much to worry about when it's in small amounts.

The nicotine levels in commercial vape juice flavors aren't enough to be fatal or even put you at risk. Studies have shown that at least 500 mg of nicotine is enough to be fatal for humans. 100 mg would cause you to feel nauseous and experience headaches and convulsions.

These numbers mean that a drop or two of vape juice on your skin won't do much harm, perhaps a slight irritation for those sensitive to nicotine. In fact, leaving your finger in vape liquid still wouldn't be enough to kill you. You'd likely only start feeling nauseous and dizzy, similar to the effects of smoking too much. Then again, what are the chances of you accidentally doing that?

Whilst it is true that the skin easily absorbs vape juice, there is nothing much to worry about. Still, we recommend you wipe off any excess vape liquid you come into contact with, as nicotine can cause reactions, especially with sensitive skin types.

Is It Safe To Touch Vape Juice?

Touching vape juice shouldn't cause any damage unless the nicotine level is high, way above average. If you get vape juice, don't panic; wash it off.

You may have noticed that most, if not all, vape juice bottles come with warnings about coming into contact with the e-liquid and what to do when that happens. Labels like this exist because the skin readily absorbs the nicotine in the vape juice.

When nicotine is absorbed by the skin or even swallowed, it can lead to nicotine poisoning. However, this is only possible with high concentrations of nicotine. Hence, it is relatively safe to come into contact with vape juice. The nicotine concentration in commercial vape liquids is not enough to be fatal for humans.

In fact, whilst nicotine is absorbed fast into the skin, there probably wouldn't be any detrimental side effects.

However, prolonged exposure to large amounts of vape liquids can cause effects akin to having too much caffeine or an overdose of nicotine. If you happen to leave large amounts of vape liquids on your skin, you may start having symptoms such as nausea and an elevated heart rate.

Hence, we recommend that you wipe off any excess vape juice you have come into contact with to avoid any side effects, severe or mild.

Is Vape Liquid Toxic To Skin?

Vape liquid contains different ingredients, but is it toxic for our skin? Yes, vape liquid, or the nicotine in it, is toxic. The catch is that it is only toxic and harmful at high concentrations.

Nicotine in vape liquid is readily absorbed by the skin, which may cause some to worry due to medical incidents of nicotine poisoning. However, although nicotine is indeed toxic, it is only so at high doses.

Thankfully, the nicotine concentration in commercial vape liquids isn't high enough to cause any detrimental side effects on our health. Studies have shown that around 500 to 1000 mg of nicotine is needed for a fatal dose, which isn't possible with even the highest concentrations of e-liquids.

Even oral ingestion of small amounts of vape juice wouldn't cause any significant problems unless you happen to ingest an entire bottle in one go.

However, if you happen to get large amounts of vape liquid on your skin, you may start feeling nauseous and dizzy, akin to a feeling of nicotine or caffeine overdose. Hence, even though the nicotine in vape liquids isn't lethal, it is still advisable to wash it off with soapy water.

Vape liquids can also cause other side effects, such as irritation. This is especially common in people who are sensitive or allergic to the different components in vape liquids, notably propylene glycol and nicotine. Exposure to vape liquids may cause rashes or a burning sensation in such cases.

Why Does Vape Juice Burn My Skin?

Vape juice can damage one's skin if it is not washed off straight away. Vape liquids are made up of various ingredients, so it is no surprise that some can cause side effects when coming into contact with the skin.

Have you ever noticed a burning sensation when stray droplets of e-liquid come into contact with your skin? If you have, chances are, you are allergic to propylene glycol. This substance is found in all vape liquids and acts as a base, or a solvent for other chemicals added.

However, some people are allergic to this substance, and prolonged exposure to concentrations of as low as two per cent can cause irritation and rashes.

At higher concentrations, propylene glycol can intoxicate us humans, but fortunately, commercial vape liquids do not contain such high concentrations.

Irritation and an allergic reaction is not the only side effect to worry about when it comes to accidental contact with vape liquids. Nicotine is another substance that is easily absorbed by the skin.

Similarly to propylene glycol, nicotine can be toxic at high concentrations. However, once again, vape liquids do not contain enough nicotine for this to happen.

However, allergic reactions are still a possibility. Furthermore, nicotine is harmful to our skin barrier as it breaks down collagen and elastin. These two protein strands are vital to maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Hence, prolonged exposure to nicotine can result in damaged skin.

Although vape juice isn't lethal when in contact with our skin, it still can cause side effects such as irritation and a burning sensation. It is still advisable to wash off any excess vape liquid on our skin with soapy water to prevent any side effects or harmful reactions from prolonged exposure.

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For more e-liquid insights, check out our article can you drink vape liquid?